Sigma Delta Pi of Hunter College of the City University of New York

As part of Sigma Delta Pi, the Xi chapter at Hunter College is part of the only honor society devoted exclusively to students of Spanish studies in four-year colleges and universities. Furthermore, it is the largest foreign-language honor society in existence (with over 170,000 members) and one of the elite as attested by its membership in the Association of College Honor Societies. History:

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a Delta Pi established its fourteenth chapter at Hunter College in the late 1920’s, thus making it one of the very first chapters among the 595 currently in existence. The Xi chapter at Hunter College was also the first chapter in the state of New York and one of the earliest on the eastern seaboard. Amongst the various awards and distinctions granted by Sigma Delta Pi, Professor Lucía Bonilla, adviser of the Xi chapter at Hunter College (CUNY), was awarded the first Premio José Martel in the academic year of 1971-72. The prize recognized Professor Bonilla’s lifelong dedication and commitment to Hispanic culture and the dispersion of Sigma Delta Pi chapters throughout the northeast; she also served as one of the vice-presidents of the society. The Xi chapter at Hunter College continued to expand its legacy in 1977 when the nomination for the Nobel Prize for Literature was drafted by Professor José Olivio Jiménez with the support of all the members of the Spanish section of the Department of Romance Languages of Hunter College. That year the great Spanish poet Vicente Aleixandre was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, and he accepted Distinguished Membership in Sigma Delta Pi. A "Homenaje a Vicente Aleixandre" was presented on November 18, 1977, in the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College under the supervision of Professor Lucía Bonilla. Professor Lucía Bonilla continued her role as chapter advisor until 1982; her predecessor was Professor Leonard Mades until 1989. Almost 25 years later, the Xi chapter at Hunter College regains its presence in 2013, through the efforts and interest of its dedicated students and its current advisor Professor María Hernández-Ojeda. Membership requirements:

1.Must have completed three years of study of college-level Spanish (eighteen semester credit hours) or the equivalent thereof, including at least three semester hours of a course in Hispanic literature or Hispanic culture and civilization at the junior (third-year) level. A student may be admitted to active membership while still enrolled in the second junior-level course if all other requirements have been met and if the instructor of the course certifies that the student’s work is of “B” or “A” quality.
2.The candidate for active membership must have a minimal grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale in all Spanish courses taken. (The candidate MUST have earned grades in completed Spanish courses in order to qualify for membership.)
3. The candidate must rank in the upper 35% of his/her class—sophomore, junior, or senior—and must have completed at least three semesters or five quarters of college work.
4. Graduate students who have been unconditionally admitted to a degree-granting program may be elected to membership upon completion of two graduate courses in Spanish with an average which, if continued, will make them eligible for a graduate degree.